Nothing Clever to Name This Post

I have been plotting and planning a clever yet introspective blog post to wrap up 2010.  And then I took 509872 pictures of the snow we got and I was planning a cute post about that.  And then the tragedy happened in AZ and it just didn't feel right to be light-hearted.  And then I wanted to tell you my take on the shameful politicization of that tragedy by politcians and media on the left and right.  But now I have something serious and close to home that I need to tell you about.

I received news yesterday that a bloggy friend of mine, Joanne aka The Simple Wife, had a stroke.  She's 38 and has a husband and two young daughters.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile you may remember that I reviewed Joanne's book Misplacing God (and finding Him again).  While I've never met her face to face, I know someone who is close to her.  And while Joanne and I have only corresponded by email and blog comments I feel like I can call her friend.  I know it may seem strange that I can feel connected to someone I've never met but bloggers share a special kind of community.  While my blog certainly isn't on the same par as Joanne's she has always been gracious and kind.  We've talked about some difficult things that we share in common and we've prayed for each other.  But most of all she loves Jesus with all her heart and and that's a GOOD thing we have in common.  It makes us sisters.

Could you pray with me for Joanne?  For complete healing, for peace and comfort for her husband Toben and their girls, Audrey and Emma.  Pray for wisdom for the doctors and nurses.  Pray that God will be glorified through this.  I've shared on this blog before my reservations about the power of prayer and God's goodness after the loss of my niece.  In the last two years I have questioned everything I thought I knew.  God and I are still working things out but today, for my friend, I will boldly approach His throne and plead for her.  Will you go with me?

Buckle Up

Hello! I've been wanting to post for a while but our satellite Internet is dead. We are going on Week 4 of being bamboozled, dismissed and abused by various Hughesnet technicians. Today the tech says he can't come because his truck is ON FIRE. Well.

But this post can't wait any longer. I need to clear my conscience. You know my general views on government and economics and I've always half-jokingly promised that I would tell you when I thought it was time to start building a bunker and storing canned goods.

I'm no longer joking. I need you to know that now is the time to prepare for hard times. I believe that my grandchildren will look back at 2010 as the year America ceased being a "superpower".

Our lifestyle is no longer sustainable. America as we knew it or at least as we thought we understood it no longer exists. Economic collapse IS coming and we've brought it on ourselves. I don't know when it will happen or if it will come down with a giant crash or if we will slowly deteriorate into desperation. But it's going to be painful.

Violent Marxist revolutionaries are taking Europe by storm and they will come here. They have been planting the seeds of revolution for decades. The bomb-throwing, America-hating hippies of the '60s are now the establishment. They are running our education system, financial system, political system, industry and healthcare. The only piece remaining that they don't completely control is the media. And they have their sights set on it with "net neutrality" and the FCC. And once we are no longer free to communicate competing ideas with each other it's checkmate. Game over.

But I haven't lost hope. America WILL survive. She won't look quite the same. There will be scars that remain but her principles are indestructible. All men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

So buckle up--it's gonna get dicey. But the good news is I believe the good guys win in the end.







- Posted using BlogPress from Dixie, my iPhone

Happy Election Day Eve!

Oh, I am giddy about the Big Day tomorrow!  It should be an historic election of gargantuan proportions!

I love a good hyperbole.

I thought I'd share some of the races I'll be keeping my eye on tomorrow night.  I know you are all dying to know who I'm rooting for. 

Rooting for...it sounds like I'm getting ready to watch a big game.  Unfortunately, politics HAS become a game, and I don't actually like the Democrats OR the Republicans.  They are all a bunch of big-government, progressive weasels.  I'd like to give them all a big, giant foam finger. That being said, I'll be wearing red and rootin' for the Republicans tomorrow since I believe the Democrats have already sold their souls to George Soros.  Time will tell if the "Tea Party" Republicans sell out too.

So some of my favorite races to watch tomorrow night are:

Nevada-Senate race: It will be HISTORIC (and hilarious) if Tea-Party favorite Sharron Angle beats Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  Reid is an elitist, arrogant jerk.  Go Sharon!

Delaware-Senate race:  It would be so awesome if Christine O'Donnell could beat Chris Coons.  At first I thought she was a little kooky, and she may well be, but she started to grow on me. And I have to root for anybody who's been treated by the media like she has been.  I love an underdog.

Florida-Senate race:  I am a HUGE fan of Marco Rubio.  Dare I say he seems...presidential?!  Meeks seems like a decent fellow but Crist is a shameless dirtbag.

California-Governor:  I don't know much about Meg Whitman but she does have one really, REALLY important qualification--she's NOT Jerry Brown.

California-Senate race:  I think I like Carly Fiorina.  And I know I don't like Barbara "Call Me Senator" Boxer.  I'd like to call her "Former Senator Boxer".

Alaska-Senate:  Joe Miller seems like a decent guy.  Lisa Murkowski seems to be a spoiled brat throwing a temper tantrum over not winning the Republican nomination.

Ohio-Governor:  John Kasich.  I've always liked him.

Connecticut-Governor:  What the h-e- double-hockey stick is wrong with you Connecticut? How is Richard Blumenthal even in the running against Linda McMahon?  Not that I'm a big fan of Linda's but HELLO!, Blumenthal is an unprincipaled moron.
 
Arkansas-House: I'm pulling for Beth Anne Rankin.  I went to college with her and she's a lovely person.  And Mike Ross is not.

Arkansas-Senate:  I can't wait to retire Blanche Lincoln!  Woo Hoo!  John Boozman!

Colorado-Governor:  A win by Tom Tancredo would be amazing.

Kentucky-Senate:  I really like Rand Paul. 

Pennsylvania-Senate:  I hope Pat Toomey can pull out a win over Joe Sestak.

Wisconsin-Senate:  I will be so delighted to see Russ Feingold lose.

Arizona-House:  Ruth McClung is my choice.  She's a physicist.  I like physicists. (Head nod to Mr. Rascalraiser.)

Florida-House:  Please, please Florida.  Go vote for Dan Webster.  Alan Grayson is a hate-mongering psycho.  Would you like for me to tell you how I really feel?

Massachusetts-House:  Mass, what is your deal?!  How is Sean Bielat not winning against Barney "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not in a crisis situation" Frank?!

So there you go.  I know your life is more complete now that you know where I stand on these races.  I've got my race-tracking lists printed and the Hubs and I will be popping some corn and sipping hot cocoa tomorrow night watching the results roll in!

Woo hoo!  Go Big Red!

Freedom Of Speech Gets Kicked In The Head

Hello again.  It's been a while.  But you KNEW I'd have to come back to talk about this NPR fiasco, didn't you?!

Please, please tell me you have been paying attention to the world around you and you are aware of the fact that NPR fired Juan Williams this week.  Just in case, here's a quick explanation:  Juan Williams, a liberal news analyst for NPR and also a contributor on Fox News, was abruptly let go from his decade-long employment with NPR this week allegedly because of comments he made on Bill O'Reilly's show regarding Muslims.  I say "allegedly" because NPR has tolerated much worse statements than Juan's from the likes of Cokie Roberts and Nina Totenburg and they still have jobs.  Oh, but they only insulted conservatives and Christians so it's all good.

I feel like I need to insert right here this disclaimer:  I do not like Juan Williams.  He is very far-left in his political ideology and when I watch him I usually wind up yelling at my TV.  I don't know that I have ever agreed with Juan on anything.  However, I grudgingly respect his willingness to come on Fox News and have a reasonable debate unlike so many on the far-left.  (Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg come to mind.)  Just sayin'.

Ok, back to the summary of the situation.  Juan and Bill were discussing the Behar/Goldberg walk-out on the set of The View when Bill said that "Muslim's killed us on 9/11" and that political correctness is running amok these days when Juan decided to use himself as an example.  I'm paraphrasing but he said something like, "I'm very involved in the civil rights movement so obviously I am no bigot.  But even I get a little nervous when I get on a plane and there's someone in full-on Muslim garb."  Ok.  Big deal.  He didn't say that people in Muslim garb shouldn't be allowed to fly.  He didn't say that all Muslims that wear the traditional garb are dangerous or evil.  He was simply honest about his personal feelings and about what I suspect many Americans have also thought on many occasions. 

Well, you would think that he had called for stripping all Muslims of their citizenship and shipping them all back to the Middle East.  NPR promptly fired him, BY PHONE.  Yep, wouldn't even let him come in and discuss it in person.  In a completely unrelated story, last week far-left progressive billionaire George Soros donated $1.8 million dollars to NPR.  Also, in a completely unrelated story, George Soros donated $1 million dollars to Media Matters to "fight against Fox News." But I digress. 

Is it just me or does "freedom of speech" not mean what it used to?  I thought it used to mean that the answer to speech you didn't like was MORE speech.  Apparently now it means if you don't agree with me and I'm in power you should sit down and shut up.  Like I said, I almost never agree with Juan but don't you think it's a good idea to have a dialogue?  Wouldn't you think the lefties would WANT Juan to reach out to the Fox audience in hopes of persuading them to some of his views?  Maybe that would be too reasonable.  I guess I'm just too darn reasonable...Juan, I'll stand with you and I champion your right to free speech.  You keep on talking and I'll keep on yelling at my TV! 

I wonder how Juan feels about so many conservatives standing up for his right to free speech?

I'll leave you with some words from George Washington:  "If freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.

Baa, baa, America.
 

O-U-A-C-H-I-T-A!

Wow.  It's been twenty-two years since my parents tearfully dropped me off in front of the Flippen-Perrin dorm and I waved goodbye uncertainly and began that amazing adventure we call the Ouachita experience. Ínitially when I heard about the first OBU BlogAbout I was hesitant to participate.  Not because I don't have many, many great memories from my time at Ouachita but because I didn't know how in the world I could adquately condense those memories into a coherent blog post that would do justice to the experience.  But I'm not one to miss out on a party so here goes...

My husband, Wes, says that the most important thing I need to tell you is that I met HIM at OBU.  It was right before Christmas break of my sophomore year and his freshman year.  For weeks my roommate, Teresa, had been telling me about this really cute, super-friendly guy in one of her classes.  One evening they were studying together on the bridge of the Student Center and I happened to drop by and was finally introduced to him.  I'm not being overly dramatic when I say that life was never the same!

My first two years at OBU the girls had a curfew.  Just the girls.  I guess the powers that be figured that if the girls all had to be back in the dorm then the guys wouldn't have anything to do and they'd go home too.  Wes just kindly pointed out that the Henderson girls didn't have a curfew.  Nice. 

Anyhoo, during finals week we would inevitably get the munchies after curfew.  That was back during the days of the Taco Bell  "Ten Tacos for A Dollar" deal.  Ok, it was probably more than a dollar but it was still a GREAT. DEAL! One night Teresa and I called Wes to make an emergency Taco Bell run and he and his roommate, Tom, brought back a box of tacos.  There was, conveniently, a hole in the screen of our second story window (I promise it was there when we moved in!) so Teresa and I lowered a rope (why did we have a rope?!) and Wes tied the box of tacos to the end of it and we pulled them up.  Best tacos I ever ate!

There was also the time that it snowed and Teresa and I had ordered a pizza but the pizza guy called back and said he couldn't get out of the icy parking lot to deliver said pizza.  So who ya gonna call?  Wes.  He came and got us in his little blue Toyota pickup and we slipped and slid all the way to Pizza Hut and back.  Mission accomplished. 

We used to study at the Road Runner convenience store in Caddo Valley because they had tables, were open 24 hours and they let us have free refills on our coffee.  Then we'd usually wind up at the Waffle House for their $3.99 all-you-can-eat special.

Why do all my memories involve food?

Oh, here's one that doesn't involve food.  One time the guys who lived in Conger (the REAL Conger, not that imposter that was recently torn down) ran electrical cords from the lobby to the middle of the campus and set up a TV screen so we could watch the World Series.  That was during the time that I was pretending to be interested in baseball.  Because Wes played baseball.  I didn't miss a single OBU Tiger baseball game that first year we dated.  Teresa and I, along with our suitemate, Terri, went to Panama City for spring break that year and we even surprised the team by showing up in Pensacola where they had a tournament. 

There are many more un-food-related adventures but most of those probably shouldn't be shared on the World Wide Web, especially since I happen to now work at Ouachita.  (Thanks for the health insurance, OBU!)  Let's just say that a good time was had by all. :)  Oh, and we all received stellar educations in the process.

Happy Founders Day to Ouachita! May all her skies be gay! :)